OVC Tournament Preview: Eastern Illinois Panthers vs. SIU-Edwardsville Cougars
The Eastern Illinois Panthers will face off against the SIU-Edwardsville Cougars in the OVC Tournament in Evansville, Indiana on Wednesday at 7 p.m. EST. The Cougars have a 12-8 record against OVC teams and a 7-4 record in non-conference play, while the Panthers have an 8-12 record in OVC play and are 5-13 against opponents over .500. SIU-Edwardsville averages 71.0 points per game, slightly more than the 70.5 points allowed by Eastern Illinois, who averages 66.9 points per game, 2.6 more than the 64.3 points given up by SIU-Edwardsville.
This will be the third meeting between the two teams this season, with the Cougars winning the last matchup 77-50 on Feb. 28. Tyler King is a key player for the Cougars, averaging 9.6 points per game, while Fruster leads the Panthers with an average of 14.8 points. In their last 10 games, the Cougars have a 6-4 record, averaging 67.1 points per game, while the Panthers have a 3-7 record, averaging 66.2 points per game.
Both teams have had their strengths and weaknesses in the last few games, with the Cougars showing solid scoring and defensive stats, while the Panthers have struggled defensively. It will be an exciting matchup between these two teams as they battle it out in the OVC Tournament.